President's Message

Majella Meehan

Imagine, the BCA has been assisting our community for 50 years! What a milestone.

Of course, we could not have been with you for this long if it had not been for all of those supporters who have gone before us.

A special thanks to the Life Members and the Honorary Member, some of whom are no longer with us…

Bill Hodson – Life member;

Joan Heatley OAM – Life member;

Joan Kennedy – Life member;

Roy Dickinson OAM – Life member; and

Brenda-Anne Parfitt (formerly Norman) – Honorary member

Joan was President for 26 years and I pay tribute to her (and to all of the other Life Members and the Honorary Member) without whose dedication the BCA would not be the organisation that it is today.

A special thanks also goes to the staff and volunteers, who, over the last 50 years have all contributed to the success of the BCA.

The past and present Management Committee Members are also deserving of special mention. There have been many members and many of those have served for a number of years. providing a consistency and continuity for the BCA.

There is that saying (from a song I think) which goes…”From little things, big things grow”.

That is certainly the story of the BCA. From very humble beginnings down at the Information Centre at Plantation Park to now working from the Support Centre, Burdekin Centre for Rural Health and the Burdekin Community Rehabilitation Centre and Community Information Centre, with various other locations along the way.

A special acknowledgement and thanks must also go to the Burdekin Shire Council, who has supported the BCA in so many ways. Your assistance has been very important in allowing us to provide such valuable services for the last 50 years.

Also, a special thanks to our various collaborators from both Federal and State Government. Over the years, the BCA has delivered a number of programs funded by government. We currently deliver programs funded by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety and the Department of Housing and Public Works.

Thank you to all those who have donated to the BCA. Your donations have allowed us to be proactive in providing services to our community which would not otherwise have been available.

Lastly, thank you to each of you for helping to celebrate this wonderful milestone. I sometimes wonder if our predecessors ever thought the BCA would still be going 50 years on. Thanks to them, we are and I am confident that the BCA will continue to serve this community for many years to come.

Majella Meehan

President

‍